BENGALURU: The prestigious Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore has been placed fifth in rankings for universities in the BRICS nations, with the largest number of papers published per faculty member.

"Setting itself up as a worthy rival for China in terms of research production, the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore submitted ranking data for the first time this year – entering the BRICS rankings in fifth place, with the largest number of papers published per faculty member and strong scores across other indicators," said a report in the third edition of the QS University rankings of BRICS countries released on Tuesday. India likewise has its eye on the international stage, with the government's "brain gain" policy aspiring to establish 14 world-class universities.

According to the rankings, China has seven of the top 10 places while Brazil, India and Russia have one each and South Africa none. "The 2015 results confirm that China is strengthening its dominant position while India has seen a rise of more than 50 per cent in the number of institutions listed in the top 200 in the latest rankings," said Martin Ince, convener of the QS global academic advisory board.

"The BRICS nations share a desire to grow in economic and political importance without copying the Western model of development. This ranking exists to see how this ambition is being reflected in their university systems," Ince said.

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